By Elias Mhegera – The debacle on oil and gas which was catalyzed by a resistance from the Mtwara residents on the government’s plan to pipe natural gas from its shores to Dar es Salaam is not yet resolved. Currently there are no media reports on this matter simply because the Government has suppressed such coverage after it imposed a curfew albeit covertly after detaching a battalion of soldiers from the Tanzania People’s Defense Forces (TPDF). This does not mean that the decision by the government has been supported wholeheartedly as evidenced in the Dar es Salaam city recently. It... Continue Reading
By Elias Mhegera – Financial experts have warned of the increasing impending dangers due to illicit financial transfers, land grabbing, money laundering and secret deals between criminal moguls and corrupt politicians. This was part of the resolutions after a three days experience of sharing information between financial and tax experts, journalists, and civil society representatives at the White Sands Hotel in Dar es Salaam. The prestigious workshop that was organized by hosts Policy Forum and umbrella body of the civil society organizations (CSOs) of Tanzania in collaboration with the Financial Transparency Coalition (FTC). Tanzania in the recent past is estimated... Continue Reading
Moved by the plight of vulnerable women living in poverty in her native Cameroon, British-based Margaret has dedicated her professional life to supporting them. When Margaret moved to the UK from Cameroon in 2007 to join her diplomat husband in London, she struggled to leave behind her experiences as a development worker, helping poor and vulnerable women in her homeland to have a better quality of life. Many Cameroonian women are vulnerable to poverty, HIV/AIDS and poor employment opportunities, making it tough for them to support their families. Those in rural areas face further difficulties as access to support is... Continue Reading
BENI, 17 October 2013 (IRIN) – “Eight months ago no one had heard of Al-Shabab,” said Henri Ladyi, a Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) expert and director of the Conflict Resolution Centre (CRC) in Beni, a town and territory in North Kivu Province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Ladyi is concerned that rumours about the influence of Somalia-based Islamists in Beni, whether true or not, are unravelling gains made by the CRC in recent years. The UN, Congolese and Ugandan authorities have drawn links between the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group operating in the Ruwenzori... Continue Reading
By Dennis Kabatto – The UN Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Affairs Committee also known as the Third Committee concluded on Wednesday its general discussion on human rights issues, the advancement of women and implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women and of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. Member States representatives renewed their calls for more women to participate in the political life and for the amendment of national criminal codes to address domestic violence and the related crime of “femicide.” At an earlier meeting last Friday, representatives and delegates from 37 member states... Continue Reading
